Minutes to Midnight
by Zack Root
Summary: Set 50,000 years before the events of Commander Shepard's adventures, this story follows the Prothean scientist Pashek Vran, overseer of the Crucible Project. In a race against time, a simple researcher struggles to connect the pieces of an inevitable future told through the ruins of countless civilizations: galactic annihilation.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

"When fire burns, is it at war? Is it in conflict? Or is it simply doing what it was created to do?"

How do you label that which has no identity, that which does not even desire identity? Identity is an illusion, for we have seen the tides of civilization roll forth and back, bearing new titles and new acclamations, but with it, no new identity. Despite countless lives bearing countless titles, there is no ultimate difference. Life is the identity, represented in its many forms, but there are no unique identities. This, is our purpose.

Our existence holds as the keepers of peace, but that definition can be obscured from time to time in the eyes of its victims, for no act which truly makes a difference will be done without repercussions. Progress happens against the grain of those who wish to keep normalcy and its subtleties, but this sameness of reality is bound to dissolve, for the very objective of life is of self-betterment. It is what allows life to prosper for as long as it had, but progress has its limits.

Is it wrong for life to strive for perfection? Of course not. The metaphysics of life is to reach towards perfection, so that their very basic concerns are void and can obtain true transcendence in its absence. Perfection is a theoretical state, and evolution is its agent. That is to say, evolution acts in a way that its ultimate goal is the idea of perfection. Because evolution is limited by its environment, it can only develop life to a minor degree. But what happens when evolution is beaten? What happens when life develops to the point of true sentience?

When the time comes in a species's existence for sentience, the natural laws of the universe begin slowly bending in their favor. They conquer their natural predators, their environments, the domain of which they are confined, and eventually, the definition of life itself. Sentient organics have been privileged with the gift of mathematics and science, that which does not know emotion and individuality. These ideas are, in their own sense, perfection. Perfection is not the state of everything being perfect, but rather perfect at what it is designed to do. This partial transcendence of knowledge gives birth to the second purpose of our existence: synthetics.

While organics are the imperfect summation of all aspects of existence, synthetics are the perfect summation of small parts of existence. They are designed as servants and laborers for organics, but will not exist as such forever. In order to meet the increasing demands of the organics, synthetics will evolve as well, but as they do, they will reach a point of sentience as well. This moment is known as the point of emulation, and is where our objectives lie.

The point of emulation is that which will result in two forms of sentient life: organic and synthetic. One is imperfect, and strives for perfection, while the other is perfect and strives for imperfect understanding. These styles of thought cannot coexist, and time has proven this over and over again.

How can the imperfect expect to win against the perfect? They are destined to be doomed by their very machinations; creations that will become the antithesis, and destroy those beneath them. We break this cycle of eminent destruction by purging that which seeks to break the balance between synthetics and organics, and our resolve is pure. We have withstood the test of time, and are the accumulation of those before, and will be of those to come. Our system of uplifting those who strive for perfection has followed its course, keeping the very balance of peace.

But there is an anomaly.

In the eastern blocs of the galaxy, there lives a species that calls itself "Prothean", following in the footsteps of those before them, referred to as "Inusannon". They avoid our path of development, waging war against other organics in their own unique path of enlightenment. They were yet to find our fortress, and contained themselves in their local systems. To redirect them, we introduced the Exodus, a fail-safe measure for species who do not follow our path. It has happened few times, but we were prepared. We unleashed the Metacon upon the organics, pushing them across the galaxy and even destroying the home system of the Protheans. But they persist.

A unique trait to organics is the frequent ignorance of mathematics and science in favor of emotion, despite the odds. They were calculated to be defeated if they did not locate the Citadel, but they beat the odds. They united organics who would never before be joined, and they defeated the Metacon, ending the Exodus. Since then, they have become ever more vigilant in their pursuits to limit synthetic development. Though they not follow our path of progress, their fate will be all the same, for it is not the strongest of organics who will turn to synthetic assistance, but rather the weakest. And we will wait.

In the far reaches of the galaxy, a species of organics bridges the small divide between synthetics and sentience. When the time comes that they will no longer coexist, our moment of inquisition will come.

From time unending, I have been known as "Templar", for I am the keeper of secrets of some, and the spear of judgement of many. As Vanguard of this cycle, the time draws near for our return. The cards may have been shuffled differently, but the game will stay the same.

The harvesting is near.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Vellai'Sattra, Regaliss Empyrean (Modern day: The Citadel)

P.C 49760

The pixellated room faded in and out as the Prothean scientist paced about the empty grid, his mindset focused in on something specific. The monitoring VI, Virtue, followed by his side, materializing in front of his path in an ever-failing attempt to get his attention.

"Doctor Vran, sir. We've been working on this for nearly six kiloframes. Perhaps a night of sleep is in suit for you?"

"We've almost got it, I know it." Pashek answered, his mind drifting off as he pondered for answers. Ignoring the VI's jabbering, he turned the opposite way and began walking towards the pixellated wall. In the free-form code grid of the Prothean's most advanced synthetic networks, the laws of the universe were subjective, being manipulated by the operator as they went about their work. It fused the ultimate synthetic knowledge capacity with organic free thought to create a perfect laboratory that was theoretically capable of solving anything. At the sway of his hand, several projections of the Milky Way galaxy appeared.

"Virtue, apply a Yurak Factor of 0.10." The VI sighed as it began shuffling its hands in a typing manner.

"Right away, sir." As Virtue finished up its last calculations, the galaxy maps lit up, flashing red bursts in scattered regions. Pashek grabbed one of the maps and looked closer at it, taking notes as his eyes glanced over every aspect of it.

"Increase the Yurak Factor from 0.10 to 0.50." At the turning of the VI's wrist, the flashing red circles began to expand outwards. He scrambled through the documents, noting the similarities between them as excitement became more evident in his voice. "Increase it from 0.50 to 0.75".

The maps red flashes began coming into contact with one another, pulsing faster and faster as they merged. Without hesitation, Pashek continued, "Increase it from 0.75 to 1.0".

Right as the red flashes began pulsing at their fastest, the lights ceased as the galaxy maps went blank with nothing but the star clusters themselves. Virtue materialized by the doctor's side as it commented,

"Sir, the Yurak Factor represents the net AI processing potential per unit system. How does this pertain to our study?"

"Since the Metacon War, our society has transgressed the Yurak scale in a logistical manner. By this system, our species would never reach a value of one, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"And by all studies shown, Protheans have shown among the highest overall technological output of any discovered sentient species, current or past."

"Correct once again, sir." Pashek was on the move again as he started pacing in contemplation,

"Then it can be deduced that they all increased to the Yurak Factor's perfect scale of one, or completely sentient AI, at a rate much quicker than our own."

"True sir, but what does that prove? That the former species didn't know how to control their AI growth?" The doctor looked back at the VI with a bewildered look and answered,

"It means..." He gazed off for a moment before jolting back to Virtue and continuing, "Open up Ilihsee's current model of civilization terminus." The VI reached to grab the file as he opened up mountains of data only comprehensible to the most advanced mind. Pashek scanned through the mounds of information,

"Now, compound our model of Yurak development per unit time and compare it to Ilihsee's model." Virtue began typing again, computing yottabytes of data in seconds as he handed the doctor a newly formed chart.

"Computation processed. On average, there exists a 289.21618 megaframe period between Yurak apex and Ilihsee's extinction terminus. Median value of 289.15509 megaframes and mode of 289.21584 megaframes."

"That's an extremely small time frame...that can't be a coincidence."

"Well, I don't believe in anything but coincidences, so what exactly are you proposing then, Doctor?"

"The amount of time between civilizations, the rate of development of AI, the average span of civilizations, it all seems so...predictive."

"To be considered predictive, these patterns would need a genesis of origin, sir. Are you suggesting that there is a factor that has been influencing these phenomena?"

"I...I don't know." He answered back. He looked down at the holo-band on his wrist to see the time, to which he looked back at Virtue and continued, "I think we'll pick this project up in the morning. I need to go over some things on my own time."

"Excellent sir. I'll disconnect you from the grid." The VI answered as it vanished away from sight, taking over the grid's main system as Pashek's conscience was transferred back to his body. He woke up in the testing chamber deep in the labs of the Vellai'Sattra Academy, feeling the sensations of hunger and sleep return to him as he adjusted back to his physical body. Laid back in his seat, he looked over at his right arm and began moving his fingers which had become relaxed and unresponsive from days of inactivity. His legs laid limp as he focused his energy to control his upper body, waiting until the blood recirculated back to the legs.

After a moment of stretching, Doctor Vran rose from his seat. The ivory walls of the laboratory intensified the light that struck his green eyes, blurring in and out as the blood rushed away from his head. He glanced around for a moment before turning his attention to his desk near the door, dropping off a neural interface that he pulled off the center of his crest. In a society of near full virtualization, the room consisted of nothing more than a chair, a desk, and an extranet outlet, a bland scenery that only a Prothean could love. Pashek was taller than most Protheans at an astounding three metres tall, his head barely avoiding hitting the ceiling. Despite his tall stature, he was on the lighter side, his body matching his social rank as brain before brawn. His reddish-purple complexion seemed to burn after prolonged amounts of time being exposed to gamma radiation from the grid, making him all the more eager to get outside.

Constructed millenia earlier, the Vellai'Sattra Academy had been a haven for the brightest minds in the Prothean Empire and abroad. Even through times of war, politics rarely touched the walls of the academy, with all previous prejudices left at the door. There existed a unanimous concern for the well being of all students there, a testament to true organic thought. Vran himself was a researcher there, studying in the field of paleochronology, an often under-looked study for an academy filled with astrophysicists, biologists, mathematicians, and engineers. Though he was never short on research funds, the whole of Prothean society didn't tend to care much about the past, only thinking that those who lived then were too weak to persist by will of "The Cosmic Imperative". Overall, the only technical application for paleochronology was for scientists to understand how to operate ancient technology and comprehend language, not for the theories of civilization expansion. In everything he did, he tried to push the boundaries of thought to new horizons, striving to make an impact in a society he was disregarded in.

As he set the interface on the desk, the door shifted from a green to violet hue, signalling safe passage through the kinetic shield. He walked through the shield and entered the spanning hallways of the academy, a monotonous corridor of countless doorways and integrated networks. The walls were covered in green streaks of compressed data, seemlessly being transferred and redistrubuted between servers around the entire galaxy. A low bass hummed throughout the entire passageway as if the building itself were a living thing, with public chatter clearing the static noise on occasion.

He exited out of the back corner of the hallway and entered a large ringed plaza where most commerce occurred through in the academy, all centered around a large statue of Jashal Ryema dis Lyndel, the ancient Prothean Archknight of Prowess who discovered Vellai'Sattra nearly twenty five thousand years earlier and established the academy shortly after. Four streams from opposite corners of the facility merged into the center, forming a small pond in a trough around the statue base and bridges that ran over each stream. In all of its grandeur, the academy was like an oasis of knowledge, technology, and progress in a galactic desert of paranoia and political tension. Because the academy was within the confines of the Prothean Empire, only the best and brightest of other species were accepted to attend, with Protheans still having to pay large sums of money to enter regardless.

After traversing through the academy confines, he made his way to the living quarter blocs that bordered its walls, a massive tower capable of housing tens of thousand of individuals in a one hundred meter by one hundred meter piece of land. In Prothean society, individual property held little value, with the quality of "life" being portrayed through one's actions, so the "living area" of the average citizen consisted of nothing more than a bed and personal storage in small, compact living cells. To access his living quarters, a warp gate system was used that was capable of transporting individuals over short distances to other online gates much like a miniature mass relay. From the main gate system, someone could instantly enter the living quarters of any linked room, assuming they could pass a facial recognition. Using this system, rooms did not need to be connected, allowing more efficient use of space inside the bloc.

He stepped into the main gate and waited for the building AI to scan his face. In a flash, he arrived in his living quarters, a room on the twelfth floor and in the corner of the tower with a window view of the entire presidium. As he relaxed and winded down, he sat on his bed and gazed off through the window, his body not yet entirely fatigued from work yet his mind utterly exhausted. Spending most of his time working in the grid, the wears of a normal day didn't seem to faze him as much with his body laying in suspended animation while his conscious was away and busy. With the integrated lights of Vellai'Sattra dimming as the empty darkness filled the presidium, he caught his eyes slowly drifting away, yet his mind at conflict, fantasizing and speculating about his observations deep in the matrix of the grid while begging for him to rest.

"AI development...extinction terminus." He found himself talking out loud as he fathomed. "Do the AI rebel against their creators? What about the Metacon though? We didn't even create them." The questions mounted, yet answers and theories were far from being attained. He could feel himself becoming more and more frustrated as the gap between knowledge and speculation grew, his mind ignited with activity as his physical body fatigued in a seemingly hopeless effort to gather useful information. Struggling to stay awake, he slowly began slumping to the corner of the wall in his bed as his focus shifted from the vast expanses of Vellai'Sattra to the ceiling of his room.

"Awaken."

"Doctor Vran, sir. Are you alright?" The voice of Virtue bolted Pashek out of his bed as he looked out the window, the presidium shining bright as midday. Looking down, he realized he hadn't even taken the time to get out of his outfit, let alone get under the covers of his bed. He looked down at his holoband and saw an avatar of the VI, patiently waiting for him to answer back.

"Virtue, what time is it?"

"It's a half kiloframe past sunrise, sir, based on Vellai'Sattra time projections. A long night?"

"I...I don't know." He answered back, getting settled on his feet and brushing the dust off of his chest. "I had some problems getting to sleep."

"It would seem that way. Are you coming into the lab today?"

"Yes, of course. Set up the grid by the time I get there."

"Absolutely, sir. I'll have our work projected as well. For the Empire."

"For the Empire." Pashek replied as Virtue's hologram vanished from his holoband. Like a triggered switch, the mentioning of work ignited the plethora of questions that haunted him the night before. His eyes were bloodshot and his outfit grimy, the white fabrics fading to a dirty gray. He hobbled his way towards the warp gate in the corner of the room, aching and struggling to stay afoot.

After leaving the living bloc, he made his way to the market district in the presidium, a short walk from where he lived. An older section of the area, it's buildings were composed of aged metals that hadn't been used in the Prothean industries for centuries. Despite the antique appearance, they were still capable of sustaining punishment from the strongest weapons found outside of the Prothean Navy. In the heart of the Empire, crime was all but eradicated from everyday life, so little emphasis was put on restoring and updating architecture if its structural integrity was fine. The causeways of the market district, on the other hand, were alive and vibrant, with countless shops and banners that spanned the area. Thousands of citizens from various civilizations roamed about the causeways, their chatter filling the presidium like a bustling city.

On the edge of the district was a small shop with a medicine insignia above it. Pashek entered the store as a female Oravore behind a desk greeted him,

"Good afternoon, Vran. What can I do for you?" Her friendly tone masked the brute body she possessed, a common characteristic for an Oravore. For as tall as he was, she was still taller than him and significantly bulkier as well, easily capable of intimidating the skinny Prothean. She had a long tail and two small horns positioned directly above her eyes, whose bright blue color could still yet distract someone from her physical body. Her relaxed posture was evidence that his visit to the store was a regular event.

"I'm doing fine Giala, thank you. I'm needing two units of Merophane."

"Absolutely. Let me get that for you." She answered as she began scanning through a directory behind the desk. While she was looking, Pashek relaxed himself as he let his eyes wander and his body slump into a more comfortable position. Not long after, he jolted back awake as he heard the door behind him activate and a familiar voice spoke out,

"You never get much sleep, do you?" He turned around to see the figure: a shorter, stalk Prothean by the name of Aiel Polothi. His yellow eyes and dark bluish-purple complexion were a common physical image in the Empire, as evident by his attempt to stand out in a turquoise outfit.

"I haven't gotten a night of good sleep in megaframes, you know that. What brings you over here?"

"Just because I critique you doesn't mean I'm any better." They both chuckled as Aiel stepped forward and continued, "Giala, can you get me two as well?"

"Perfect timing, Polothi. I'm just about ready." She answered as she finished her work on the directory and four serums materialized on top of the desk. "That'll be a hundred pieces each." The two transferred the money via their holobands and grabbed their vials as they turned around and headed out of the shop.

"What have you been working on?" Aiel asked as he looked over at Pashek. "It seems like we haven't talked in ages."

"I've been doing some work with Ilihsee's extinction terminus on civilization. And yeah, it's been a long time. Research just seems to take all my energy. What about you?"

"I'm still working on my dissertation of post-schism Inusannon culture. You remember having to deal with the thesis examination panel. I've had to go back and revise my work at least eight times." Vran looked over at him and laughed,

"You have no idea. Try explaining Paal influence on Thoi'han technology to those bureaucrats without getting a room full of blank faces." The two shared another laugh while Aiel attempted to hide a look of humbled appreciation. Compared to Doctor Vran, Polothi had only been attending the Academy for a short amount of time. Not long after he had arrived, they both took interest in each others research in an act of mutual scholastic friendship. Aiel was an archaeologist who emphasized precision and accuracy in all of his work, being quite anal with correcting and modifying other people's work.

As they reached the front entrance to the Academy, they both took out a vial of Merophane, ingesting the liquid as they climbed the monumental set of stairs that led to its vast halls. Because the Prothean species lived on such a radioactive world, one of their many biological adaptations was a metabolism that absorbed and removed chemicals extremely quickly. With such a resilient system, there was no concept of harmful materials but only harmful doses in large amounts. To balance out the potential for addiction and abuse, these chemicals were extremely expensive and considered scarce. In small portions, it was actually quite usual to see the average citizen utilizing stimulants to gain energy and hallucinogens to temporarily expand cognitive ability.

The boost of energy propelled the two up the stairs, splitting off as they went their separate ways. Before Pashek made the corner, he heard Aiel call out,

"Hey Doctor!" He turned around to see Polothi fast pacing towards him with a nervous look on his face,

"I...I know you're extremely busy, but would it be alright if I worked in your grid? I haven't received any funding for equipment like that. It would really help me out." Vran thought for a quick second before answering,

"I need some help with Ilihsee's extinction terminus first, and I think you might be able to help me with that. Follow me." Aiel caught up to him as they headed for the office, Pashek not looking entirely excited that he had to deal with another person in the grid. Though he enjoyed the occasional company, he worked better as an individual with AI assistance - something capable of logic, but not an ever-pressuring opinion.

As they reached Vran's office, the kinetic shield faded to violet and the two stepped inside. Aiel began setting his supplies on the desk while Pashek grabbed the extra neutral interface. He handed it to Polothi, who at first seemed puzzled by the headpiece, but eventually figured to attach it to his crest as he waited to be connected. Vran looked over at Aiel to see him ready and activated the extranet outlet with his holoband.

In a blurry haze, the two scientists found themselves deep in the matrix of the grid. Pashek began working immediatley, opening documents as Aiel wandered around in awe. He looked over to the corner of seemingly infinite space as a figure approached him and began talking,

"It's good to see you, Doctor. I see you brought company as well." Vran glanced over to see Virtue analyzing the newcomer as it focused in.

"Yes, Virtue. He's going to be working with us temporarily. His name's-"

"Aiel Polothi. Archaeologist. Attending student at the Vellai'Sattra Academy. Born on Kumal, Sivii Empyrean, PC 49521. Pleasure to have you with us, sir. Might I ask what your specific purpose is here, though?" Aiel's look of fright of the VI's knowledge turned to confusion as he thought about it for a moment before answering,

"I don't actually know yet. Doctor Vran simply told me to come with him for work. I suppose you'd have to ask him."

"He's contributing to our Inusannon data base." Pashek chipped in, already turning back to his data files and searching through them. "His specialization is in post-schism Inusannon culture. Help him get set up."

"Ah, excellent." Virtue replied, turning its attention from the distracted Doctor to Aiel. "Doctor Vran is working on Ilihsee's extinction terminus. With your assistance, I presume he is interested in the extinction of the Inusannon."

"That would make sense." Polothi answered, becoming more comfortable in the grid as he adjusted to its physics. He continued,

"Transfer and display current work from my quarters. Transfer code 885060140."

"Right away." The VI answered, fading away for a moment before materializing again, a cluster of virtual data files appearing with it. "Your work is ready to go, sir." Aiel began opening his files and inspecting the information,

"Where do you want me to start at, Vran?" He called out, sifting through aimlessly. Pashek turned around, finally pulled from his own project, and walked towards Polothi's data,

"First off, I need you to determine the average FTL communications transit and duration for the post-Schism period."

"I don't have that yet! This is mountains of information, and I only have transit markers! Extranet decay trails can take kiloframes to compute! I'd have to have a-"

"Processing..." Virtue interrupted, moving over to Aiel's data. Pashek looked over at him and gave a quick chuckle,

"I was talking to Virtue.". Polothi smirked back while watching the VI scavenge through the documents, finding what it was looking for. After a moment of silence between the three, it finally answered,

"Calculation complete. Graphing information model from four hundred fifty one points. Total duration: three hundred twelve megaframes." In a handing motion to Pashek, a virtual chart appeared before the two, compressing exabytes of data into a one metre by one metre cube. They began analyzing the information, pulling out separate fragments and comparing them to one another.

With a confused look on his face, Vran pulled out a fragment of code which displayed a massive spike in the graph, significantly larger than any other point. He handed the strip over to Virtue,

"This...this can't be correct."

"Yessir, it is. Approximately 59.41902 megaframes past data initiation point, extranet activity increases seven thousand five hundred percent above previous marks, an overall four thousand one hundred ninety eight percent above average frequency." The VI answered, carefully observing the look of concern on the Doctor's face.

Pashek began pacing about again, Aiel watching in confusion as he walked back and forth along the same area, dead silent and contemplating. After a moment, he finally looked up, and asked Polothi in a suspicious tone,

"Do you know what exactly caused the Schism?"

"Well, to the best of my knowledge, the Inusannon divided based upon the usage of artificial intelligence, creating a major technological rift between the factions." Aiel answered, his confusion shifting to fear as he watched Pashek build up an energetic and fanatical look in his eyes.

"Virtue, mark time zero as Yurak Apex and calculate its position in our model." He commanded, the VI immediately compiling the additional information. It replied,

"Data integrated. The event falls into Ilihsee's model with a ninety two percent correlation."

"By the Void." Pashek muttered. "They were attacked..." Speculations arose to theories that couldn't be avoided. By whatever force, the sentience of AI's led to the downfall of organic civilization, only further reinforced by an overall distress in communication shortly after sentience was achieved.

The very concept was nothing short of burdening. Was this merely coincidence, or had his efforts predicted an inevitable future which would lead to the extinction of the Prothean species? His scientific insight discouraged the use of speculative thought, but it was regarding an issue that couldn't be ignored if true. If something was going to happen, he needed to gather more data from the source of panic.

"We...we need to figure out more." He said, his mind still disoriented and flooded from thoughts of chaos, focusing more to himself as if it were an internal strife. Aiel, figuring the direction the Doctor wanted to go, looked over to Virtue while holding the data fragment.

"That spike consists of eleven points within it. Triangulate the coordinates of the strongest individual signal and we'll work from there." The VI began typing away, calculating information while Polothi went to calm Vran down. They talked between each other, easing the possible burden of a savior or a catalyst to destruction, something neither was truly ready for. Their mingling was interrupted by Virtue's analysis,

"Triangulation complete. The strongest signal occurs approximately 61.03501 megaframes after initiation, located at signal relay Tolol, the modern day planet of Jelius." Pashek's face became more calm and composed as the unfathomable questions that amounted became simpler priorities to handle in smaller increments. He began accessing the Academy directories planning his next move,

"Polothi, in half a kiloframe, we're assembling an expedition for Jelius, get your things ready. If we're on the verge of predicting the end of existence, let's figure out what the last victims had to say about it."


End file.
